Food from boats
Handed up in baskets on poles.
Fisher — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Taha9009 — CC BY 4.0 · Fisher — CC BY-SA 3.0
Hat Yai's best-known evening market and the first floating market in southern Thailand, opened in 2008 on the Khlong Hae canal north of the city. Small wooden boats line the canal, each with a vendor cooking and selling straight from the water; visitors order from the bank and receive their dishes in baskets on long poles. On offer are varied southern and Thai dishes: cooked rice, coconut sweets, fruit, drinks and grills. Many vendors are Muslim, so halal dishes are easy to find, though check with the vendor. Both banks have stalls of clothes and souvenirs, and the atmosphere is lively with lights and lanterns. The market runs on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only, from about four in the afternoon until nine in the evening, and entry is free. Saturday evening is very crowded. Rains are heaviest in the south-east from October to December, and the city can flood. Come before sunset to find a spot and see the boats in daylight and then under the lanterns. It is a fun family outing and a chance to taste southern cooking.
Handed up in baskets on poles.
Southern dishes and sweets.
Lively after sunset.
Khlong Hae, north of Hat Yai
Many vendors are Muslim and halal dishes are common, but not all are, so ask the vendor or look for the halal sign.